Solace
by Kay-san
Summary: Side story to 'Sex Therapist'. Due to the flu, Kakashi is sidelined and now Gai will be accompanying Sakura on this mission as her husband. Repulsion, acceptance, friendship, affection. Sakura will see underneath the loud exterior to the man he truly is.
1. Chapter 1

(Evil cackles) Yes, this is it my dears! The side story to 'Sex Therapist', the Gai/Sakura story! (More evil cackling) Why, you may ask, would I write such a thing when so many were disgusted by the idea? Well, I happen to like Gai and think he needs some loving, too. And Sakura is really the only girl in the show I like enough to write. Or maybe I'm just slightly evil, your choice. Not sure how many chapters this will have. We'll just see where my muse takes me. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or its characters. This fic is made purely for entertainment purposes and not monetary gain.

Warning: This is 'M' for a reason, so if you're under legal age, scram! This is Gai/Sakura and has sexual situations. If either of those things bother you, it's best to leave now. You've been warned.

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Solace

Chapter 1

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Kakashi flinched as the door to the examination room slammed open and a tiny pink-headed dynamo stormed inside. "KAKASHI! WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM?!"

Deciding death was imminent anyway and he might as well deserve whatever was coming to him, he crinkled his visible eye. "Hello, Sakura-chan! Lovely day, isn't it?"

"'Lovely day'? You've been terrorizing my medics and you have the audacity to ask me about the weather?! You are a piece of work, you know that, Hatake?" She crossed her arms over her chest as she regarded her best friend. "Listen, you can cooperate with the medic assigned to do your pre-mission check up..." she let a sinister smirk cross her pretty features "...or I can send a little note to Tsunade-shishou telling her you've been skipping your yearly physicals. And you know what would happen if I did that, don't you?"

Kakashi's face paled slightly. Oh, he knew all right. When the Godaime first took over and noticed it had been a few years since his last complete physical, she had assigned the male medic with the largest hands to do Kakashi's exam. It was evil and cruel and Kakashi hadn't been able to walk properly for days. "I'll behave, Sakura-chan."

"Good. And I think you should apologize to poor Hayashi-san. For Heaven's sake, it's only his second day and it's a tiny check-up." After the Copy Ninja's murmured apology, Sakura made her way to the door. "I don't want to hear any more bad reports Kakashi or so help me..." her words trailed off as her fist shook menacingly and Kakashi held up his hands in surrender.

"No more problems. I promise!" With a nod, Sakura let the door close. Kakashi glanced at the trembling Hayashi and felt slightly guilty. The guy was just trying to do his job and he couldn't be much older than 13 or 14. "Ready when you are." He gave an eye crinkle and watched the new medic relax.

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Hayashi began to sweat as he jotted notes in Kakashi's chart and the jounin became confused. If things were fine, he would have let him know and Kakashi could have been half way home by now. Something must have been wrong. With the way Hayashi nervously glanced between the jounin and his writing, coupled with the sweating and trembling, something was seriously wrong. "Just tell me what it is, Hayashi-san."

The medic jumped at the sound of his name and glanced at the jounin quickly before averting his eyes. "Um...y-you have the f-flu c-coming on."

Eye narrowing, Kakashi asked. "And that means what?" He knew and he didn't want to hear it, but letting that tiny bit of uncertainty hang in the air was worse.

"I'm afraid I c-can't clear you for the m-mission, Hatake-san." Seeing the dark look the famous ninja sent him, he hurried to explain. "Haruno-sensei would have my head if she found out I cleared you!"

He couldn't help but deflate at that statement. It was true, after all. "So, what happens next?"

The young ninja's confidence was restored and he was able to answer without stuttering. "According to shinobi and hospital guidelines, all shinobi found to be ill or coming down with something are to be given an acceleration drug. It will shorten the life of the illness, but also cause the symptoms to be more severe for the first twelve hours."

Kakashi nodded. It made sense to speed up illnesses to keep the shinobi force's numbers as high as possible.

"I'll send the nurse in with the injection."

A few moments later, Kakashi watched a plump older woman enter, a box of injection paraphernalia under one arm. She smiled warmly at Kakashi. "Hello, sweetie. Let's get you doctored up."

As she put the injection together and pulled out the alcohol swabs and a bandage, Kakashi rolled up one sleeve. The nurse turned and gave a little giggle. "Oh, I'm sorry honey. It doesn't go there."

A cold feeling of dread filled Kakashi's gut. "Where does it go?" Was that really his voice? It was more a fearful whisper than anything else. Kakashi couldn't tell if his mind was playing tricks on him or if the nurse's smile actually turned fiendish.

"I'll need to you to bend over and drop the pants."

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Twenty minutes later, Kakashi sat in a chair in the room, slumped over and feeling immensely crappy. He weakly lifted his head when the door opened and watched a scowling nurse enter to check his vitals. _'Who pissed in her Cheerios?' _

"You're free to go."

Kakashi wondered if she was serious. He couldn't even stand, how was he supposed to get home? The thought made him smile slightly. He could get back from any mission pumped full of poison, kunai and suffering severe blood loss, but give him the flu and he's helpless. "Could I speak to Haruno Sakura, please?"

The grumpy nurse rolled her eyes and muttered something under her breath as she slammed the door to his room.

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Sakura poked her head through the door, a soft smile on her features. She came in and knelt down next to Kakashi and brushed a few stray hairs from his eye as she spoke. "You would have to get sick just before a mission with me."

Kakashi chuckled. "You could heal me."

Sakura smiled apologetically. "Sorry. No can do. We need to let natural illnesses run their course to keep the immune system healthy and prevent you from getting the same sickness later."

With a shrug, Kakashi sighed. "Had to try. Don't worry about the mission, though. Tsunade-sama will find a replacement."

"We were supposed to pose as newlyweds. Remember? It would have been awkward enough with my best friend, but anyone else and it's going to be _completely_ tense." Sakura pouted at the injustice of it all.

Feeling worse by the second, Kakashi changed the subject. "I...uh...need help getting home." He rubbed at the back of his neck and Sakura could have sworn she saw a little pink above the mask's edge.

With a smile, she stood and helped him get up from the chair. "Can you summon enough chakra to teleport?"

At Kakashi's slight shake of the head, Sakura sighed and started to walk. "Let's go."

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The pair reached his apartment and after much pillow fluffing, blanket tucking, medicine gathering and general fussing over him, Sakura sat next to him on his bed. "Are you going to be alright?"

A gloved hand waved at her. "I'll be fine. I've got my medicine, my books and I'm sure by the time I _feel_ like eating I'll have the strength to make it to the kitchen."

Sakura patted his knee. "I'll let you get some sleep then. Feel better, okay?" She leaned over to kiss him on the forehead and quietly made her way to the door.

His weak voice stopped her before she left. "Sakura?"

"Yes?"

"Be careful on the mission."

"I will. You get well and I'll see you when I get back!" The door closed and Kakashi was left to sleep.

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Sakura stood in front of the Hokage, lips set in a grim line. Her mentor hadn't blown a gasket yet, but that could either mean it wouldn't be too bad or she should head for shelter. It was hard to tell with the volatile woman. "So you're telling me, one of my best jounin, the one you felt most comfortable with for this mission, is sick?"

A nod. Sakura ventured to speak. "Shishou, would it be best to send another pair to the compound? A team that has the relationship Kakashi and I share? It would have been awkward to be affectionate with him, but I'm not sure I could pull it off with anyone else."

Tsunade sighed as she laced her hands together. "I don't have anyone to send. Or anyone I would want to send anyway. You're the best candidate for this job. The strength I taught you is necessary to disable and destroy the compound. I know you don't want to go with anyone else, but it's a job, you're a professional and I know you can cope with it."

Apprehension coiling in her gut, Sakura gulped. "Who would you send with me?" She was torn between wishing for a complete stranger she could avoid forever after the mission or someone she knew so hopefully they could avoid too much tension.

The Hokage pulled a few papers in front of her and began sorting through them. "Let's see. Who's available?"

As she ran down the list of names her frown deepened. She needed a jounin, but all those she could spare were out on missions already and she couldn't send anymore out without compromising Konoha's safety.

She sighed and closed her eyes in thought, Shizune growing worried behind her. "Tsunade-sama, we can't decline the mission. We've already accepted and the village portion of the pay is severely needed."

"But what else can I do? We just don't have the re-" Her speech was cut short as the door to her office flew open, a blur of green swirling into the room.

"DYNAMIC ENTRY!" Gai's spin slowed and he faced the three women in the room, good guy pose in full force and teeth sparkling. "I, the Beautiful Green Beast of Konoha, have fulfilled my mission requirements, ensuring the safety of my beloved village! My flames of youth burned brightly on my journey! My excursion...to...vanquish...the..." He trailed off as he realized no one was listening and had gone back to their previous conversations.

Sakura agreed with Shizune. "Shizune-san is right, Shishou. The village needs the pay from that mission. The hospital and Academy could really use some new equipment. Surely one more jounin out of the village won't weaken our defenses that much."

Tsunade shook her head. "No, we're stretched thinner than we should be already. No matter how badly the village needs that money, I can't risk the safety of our civilians."

Sensing they needed a hero, and he was sure he was one, Gai stepped into the conversation. "Hokage-sama, if I may, can I be of service?"

Sakura tensed. _'Oh hell no. In the name of all things holy, please do not let Shishou agree!'_

Tsunade eyed the jounin in front of her. "You just returned from a mission, Gai. Are you sure you're up to another mission so soon?"

Gai gave another blinding grin. "I am always ready to serve my village! My last mission was not strenuous, so after a good night's sleep I shall be ready for anything!"

"Very well. Sakura needs a mission partner seeing as Kakashi has come down with the flu. Here are the mission requirements." The blonde Hokage pushed a scroll towards the spandex-clad man. "You two are to leave at dawn tomorrow."

He turned to Sakura with a nice guy pose. "Do not worry, Cherry Blossom! I will not fail you as my Eternal Rival has! We will persevere on our mission and bring great pride to our beloved home!" He saluted the three women and was gone just as quickly as he came.

All color drained from her face, Sakura turned to her mentor. "Shishou! Gai-sensei? Seriously?"

The woman answered with a smirk. "You said it yourself. The village needs that money."

"B-but...GAI-sensei?!"

Annoyed and feeling the need to protect one of her elites, she snapped at Sakura. "Listen, he is one of my best. Truthfully on par with Kakashi. He's loyal and trustworthy to a fault and will not let anything happen to you on this mission. He puts the lives of others before his own and when you take the time to get to know him he is a very nice man."

Sakura shrunk back a little, feeling bad for reacting that way to Gai's help. They were in a bind and despite just returning from a mission, he had volunteered his services. "I understand and I do appreciate his assistance, but the mission parameters...we have to pose as newlyweds. I wasn't sure I could do it with Kakashi and now I have to act that way with Gai-sensei. He kind of creeps me out, Shishou."

"You have no choice, Sakura." The Hokage's voice was soft. She understood, she really did. But there wasn't anything she could do. "He's well-suited to this mission and the cover is necessary. Please, for the sake of the village and the country that requested this mission, just try to bear it."

With a sigh and drag in her step, Sakura grabbed her own mission scroll and tried to straighten her back with determination before heading out of the office. "I will do what must be done, Shishou. I will not fail Konoha or the client."

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After showering and eating, Gai sat on his bed and opened the mission scroll. He began to frown as he read the requirements. _'No wonder Sakura paled when I offered my services. Idiot! If I had just kept __my mouth shut.'_

Gai knew most women in the village didn't find him attractive. He knew his choice of attire and hairstyle were off-putting to the opposite sex. But he was a shinobi. He had pledged his life to the service of his village and his clothes and hair were perfect for combat. Sure he was lonely and wanted to find love, most ninja felt the same way. But if he ever did find love, he wanted it to be someone who could accept him as he was, not someone who would try to change him to fit their idea of the perfect man.

He knew Sakura must be repulsed. She was beautiful and intelligent, soft-hearted and fierce. There was no doubt in his mind she would be kind enough to control her displeasure, but her skin would crawl every time they had to touch. He put his face in his hands and cursed his overly-enthusiastic demeanor again.

This mission would be tough on the taijutsu master. Sakura had grown well. At twenty she was a feared jounin and respected medic. She could have her pick of any man in the village. It would be difficult to play his part in the mission, knowing she hated every second of it. To complicate matters, his prized pupil, Lee, had attempted a relationship with the young woman and it had become intimate. Even though the relationship had ended on a friendly note, he knew his student still had some feelings for his longtime crush. He knew his pupil would understand it was a mission, but it would still hurt the young man to know the details of their cover.

With a sigh, Gai tried to clear his mind. There was no use fretting over it now. What's done is done and now they would just have to make the best of the situation, do their jobs and forget about it. He needed to sleep if he was going to be in top condition for the mission tomorrow, so he let his mind empty and drifted off.

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Sakura paced her floor again. She didn't know how many passes she had made in her tiny living room, but she did notice the carpet looked more matted than it had earlier. She didn't know what to do. Obviously she would have to go on the mission and do her damnedest to play her role perfectly. Could she do such a thing with Gai? She wasn't in love with anyone and her last relationship had ended a year ago. However, her last relationship had been with Lee and she didn't want to hurt his feelings. She knew Gai would feel the same.

She finally stopped her pacing and flopped down onto her couch with a huff. Grabbing the scroll and reading the contents again, she chewed her bottom lip. It didn't matter how many times she read it, she knew the words wouldn't change into something more manageable. No matter how much she wished for it.

With no choice but to accept the facts, Sakura gathered herself and headed to bed. Gai wasn't a bad person, she knew that much. But as for attractiveness, he was severely lacking and the affection would be the difficult part. Giving a sigh, she curled under her covers and let sleep claim her.

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A/N: Yes, I love Gai people. I can admit it. He's one of my favorite characters and I think he's unjustly overlooked in the romance fics. (Though I'm guilty myself.) Maybe one day I'll write another fic where Gai gets the girl without a mission forcing it. Someday. Hope you enjoyed and please leave a review! They motivate my lazy ass to get in gear and write. Hugs & Kisses!


	2. Chapter 2

I think only 4 people are actually reading this. Pfft. Oh well, don't care. I like the idea and I'm gonna keep going. For myself and the few interested parties, hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer and Warnings: See chapter 1.

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Solace

Chapter 2

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Sakura dragged herself along to the front gates to meet with Gai. She wasn't quite sure what to think anymore. She felt bad if she admitted to her disgust, but she couldn't say much else and be honest. The one thing she guessed she could be thankful for is that he satisfied both wishes for someone she knew and a complete stranger. She knew of the man, but any encounters had been so...weird...that she didn't feel compelled to get to know him any better.

As she got closer to the gates, she expected to see him doing one-armed handstand push-ups or spinning plates to practice his balance or something equally foolish. What she didn't expect was to see him leaning against a post, chewing his thumbnail as he was quietly lost in thought. She watched as his brows furrowed and he frowned slightly. It was such a foreign expression for the man that for a split second, she wondered if she was looking at the right person.

Sakura stood quietly to the side of a building so she could watch him inconspicuously for a moment. He closed his eyes in thought and Sakura frowned, wondering what was wrong with her partner. She watched as Suzume-sensei, the kunoichi teacher at the academy, walked up behind Gai. "Hello, Gai-sensei!"

He flinched slightly in surprise and spun around quickly, enthusiastic personality coming forth. "Ah, Suzume-sensei! What brings you out so early on this fine day?"

She adjusted her glasses and smiled brightly. "I'm on my way to class, silly! The students have a field trip today so I'm going to get a few last minute details together."

Gai gave his good guy pose. "I would offer my services to such an honorable task, but I'm afraid I am due to leave on a mission as soon as my partner arrives."

The academy teacher giggled. "It's understandable. Thank you for the thought anyway, Gai-sensei. And good luck on your mission!" She waved with a bright smile and continued to the academy.

Sakura raised her eyebrows at the display. She may not be an expert on love and relationships, but she knew flirting when she saw it and Suzume-sensei was flirting with Gai-sensei. Her mind couldn't wrap around the idea of _anyone_ finding Gai attractive, but she supposed there was someone for everyone. Filing the information away for later pondering, she continued to watch.

As soon as the instructor was out of sight, Gai slumped back onto the post, arms crossed over his chest as he frowned again. Sakura was still puzzled by his behavior but couldn't dawdle any longer. Deciding to give him the benefit of the doubt and wondering if he was the happy-go-lucky person she thought she knew, she gave him a beaming smile as she approached. "Good morning, Gai-sensei! Ready for our mission?"

Just as he had done with Suzume-sensei, he straightened quickly and gave a tooth-sparkling grin. "Ah, Youthful Cherry Blossom! Let us go forth and engage our enemies!"

Sakura kept smiling but felt a shiver run up her spine as she thought about what was going to happen later on. Thankfully, Tsunade had them leaving a week before they were due to make contact with the compound so they had time to talk about their cover and get more comfortable with each other. "Yeah, something like that. Let's go!" She bent slightly before taking off into the trees, Gai close behind her.

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As they moved through the forests, Sakura kept stealing glances at her 'husband' for the duration of the mission. At first, Gai would look up and meet her gaze, teeth sparkling brightly. But as the day worn on, he seemed to be less in tune with his surroundings and more withdrawn.

Sakura was not one to allow someone to suffer if there was any way she could help. She glanced up into the sky and judged it was a little after noon. She slowed her pace before landing softly on the ground. Gai followed after and gave her a questioning glance. Sakura smiled brightly at him. "I figured we could use some lunch. Plus, we need to discuss the mission. You did read the scroll, right?" Her nerves began to get the better of her and she started to ramble to herself. "Of course you did. Wouldn't be a jounin elite if you ignored things like that! Jeez, Sakura ask idiotic questions why don't ya? Hahaha!"

Gai struck a pose, thumb up and held out toward Sakura. "I have read the scroll, Sakura-chan! No worries, I will do my best to assist you on this mission!"

She wasn't sure, but she thought she saw his smile waver for the briefest second. She led him into the forest a little ways before setting her pack down and rummaging around for her lunch. "So, for this mission we are a married couple who has been forbidden to be together by our village. We ran off and are in need of employment and shelter. That will be the cover to get into the compound. Once there, we need to find out their motives and if needed, destroy the compound and assassinate those in charge."

Gai rubbed his chin in thought. "That cover is used quite frequently. But it serves its purpose well."

"Yes. I suppose it does. All of the missions I've seen where that cover is used have been a success." Sakura set her little bowl of salad down and clasped her hands in her lap, head bowed. "Gai-sensei, I have a confession to make."

Gai raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. He supposed he knew what was coming. _'Gee, Gai-sensei, I'm sorry but I just can't go through with this with you. It's just...blah, blah, blah.' _ He steeled himself for the rejection speech. Odd how one can be rejected by your mission partner for a mission, but hey weirder things have happened. He looked at the pretty kunoichi across from him. Beautiful young woman, strange older man; they weren't exactly a believable match.

"I don't have much experience in relationships, so I was hoping you could give me some pointers so we're a convincing couple. Also, I think it may be best if we get into our characters now so we won't be ill at ease with each other once we get to the compound."

Gai blinked in surprise. He certainly hadn't been expecting that. He raised a fist in the air as he proclaimed with conviction, "Of course, fair Cherry Blossom! I will be honored to act as your husband and contribute to the success of this endeavor we have been entrusted with!"

Sakura gave a sigh and reached over to grab Gai's hand that wasn't in the air, the one that was fisted tightly on his knee. "Gai-sensei, what is troubling you?"

An obviously fake laugh filled the air. "Ahaha, you must be imagining things!"

Sakura looked at him seriously. "I saw you at the gate. You were unusually contemplative and today while we were traveling, you became withdrawn and very quiet. I had to keep looking over to make sure you were still with me. Don't tell me there's nothing wrong when it's obvious there is."

Gai sighed, but tried to deflect the line of questioning again. "It's nothing you need to concern yourself with. I promise it will not affect the mission and I will do my best."

"Gai-sensei, please tell me. I don't mean to seem nosy and intrusive, but I can't just let it go when I know someone is bothered by something. Maybe it has something to do with my medic tendencies, you know, a fix what's broken sort of thing. Perhaps you would be able to concentrate on the mission, but I couldn't knowing you're troubled."

Gai bit his lip as he looked at the ground. He had never admitted to what he was about to say out loud. It would probably be painful and embarrassing, but Sakura was a kind soul and wouldn't laugh at him. He was sure of it. Taking a deep breath to gather his courage, he locked eyes with Sakura. "I know I'm not the most attractive man in Konoha. It truly doesn't bother me."

Sakura stared at him in shock. She hadn't been prepared for this. This man she was speaking with was not the Maito Gai she was familiar with. The words were quietly spoken, no shouts or drawn out speeches. It was in contrast to the usual behavior of the man before her. She tried to keep her reactions tempered as she listened to his words.

"I acted hastily when I took this mission. All I knew was my village needed help and I was available. I am sorry for putting you in this predicament. I'm sure you would rather have someone like my rival, Kakashi accompanying you as previously planned. From what I hear, he is a good-looking man." Gai sighed before continuing. "You are a beautiful woman and I'm...well...I'm me. I know having to act as my wife will be difficult for you and I know it's not the most pleasant thing to think of, but I can promise you I will act as a gentleman and I will not instigate any physical actions. You will call all the shots in that respect. I will understand if you want to change the cover or take a different approach to this mission."

Sakura continued to stare at him, realizing she knew nothing about him. She knew that to begin with, but she knew even less than previously assumed. As his words sank in, guilt began to gnaw at her, causing her eyes to burn. She wouldn't cry, she had done enough of that in the past. But the urge to do so was strong. No, he wasn't her idea of Mr. Perfect, but he was human and had feelings and emotions just like everyone else. Her image of Mr. Perfect had abandoned everyone and run off to join criminals. The old saying 'It's what's on the inside that counts' began to ring in her head and she made the decision then and there that she would get to know this man who was on a mission with her.

She noticed Gai looking at the ground even more downcast than he had been before and realized she had been silent for far too long. "Wow, Gai-sensei I don't know what to say to that. To be honest, I can't think of a different cover and it is the best way to complete the mission. As for the other things you said, I think you sell yourself too short." She wasn't going to lie, but she wasn't going to be completely truthful either. "You know what I see when I look at you?"

Gai shook his head slowly, eyes wide in shock. "No."

"I see a man who loves his village and comrades with all he's got, a person who does his best and never gives up, someone who will put another's life before his own. That is what makes a man desirable and attractive. Not the right clothes or the right hair or anything else that's superficial. Those few things that I just mentioned alone, make you lovable. I'm sure there's much more to you, but you've covered it all up with flowery words and outrageous speeches for so long that it's hard to find the real person under there. I wouldn't mind getting to know that person, Gai-sensei. I'm sure he would be a great friend." She gave the speechless man a little smile and he slowly smiled back.

"Thank you, Sakura-chan."

She clapped her hands and got back down to business. "Now, about this cover of ours. Any pointers, Gai-sensei?"

"I'm afraid I'm not that experienced either - big surprise right - but maybe I have a few words of wisdom." Sakura rolled her eyes at his self-deprecating comment and he chuckled as he lifted a finger. "Number one, don't call me 'Gai-sensei.' That would be a dead giveaway."

"Well, what should I call you? I've never been one for endearments."

"Those aren't necessary." Gai shook his head. "Not every wife will use endearments for her husband. Just calling me 'Gai' will do. Number two, while I'll let you make most of the calls on affection, we are supposed to be newlyweds so you will need to be affectionate when around the people in the compound. Also, you cannot flinch if I happen to place a hand on your back or something of that nature."

Sakura nodded. "I suppose the best way to be convincing is to start practicing."

Gai nodded along. "That would make sense." He looked to the sky and noticed quite a bit of time had passed since they stopped. "We should get moving again. If we don't want to sleep outside we'll need to hurry to get to the next town by sunset."

The two stood to gather their things and Sakura took a few deep breaths as she looked at Gai's hand. It was clean, with trimmed fingernails and no unsightly growths. The first step for most relationships was hand-holding, right?

As Gai crouched, getting ready to jump into the trees, he faltered slightly as a feminine hand slipped into his own, entwining her fingers with his. He looked at a profusely blushing Sakura wide-eyed. "Sakura-chan?"

"Okay, I think if I dropped 'sensei' then you should drop 'chan'." She gathered her courage to look over at him and noticed his gaze was locked on their entwined hands. "Well, couples do this, right? I mean I know I've only had one serious relationship but we did hold hands fairly quickly." She took a deep breath to calm herself. She had said that a bit harshly, feeling defensive. "We only have one week to get used to things like this. There's no time for nervousness or stubbornness." she spoke quietly.

Gai shook himself from his shocked stupor and hurried to respond. He didn't know if his brain could handle too many more shocks. "No, no this is fine. I just didn't expect it is all." He gave Sakura a reassuring smile and the kunoichi blinked slowly at him. The smile he gave her was actually a very nice one. There was no annoying tooth sparkle or impossibly wide-spread lips. It was natural and friendly and warm and Sakura found herself smiling back. It was infectious.

The two kept their hands connected as they took to the treetops, bounding from branch to branch side by side. Lost in a daze concerning the recent revelations, Sakura's mind wandered to Gai's hand. Her first instinct was to retract her hand, but as she really thought on the sensations, she figured it was nice. His hand was large and warm, the skin was rough but that was common for a shinobi. He didn't apply too much pressure with his fingers and as his thumb ran barely there circles along her skin, she found she actually enjoyed the touch.

She looked over and smiled lightly, almost shyly, as the wind blew his hair back and thought maybe she had been too harsh in her earlier observations. If she just looked at him, he wasn't ugly. Far from it, really. He had odd habits and eccentric tendencies and those seemed to overshadow the rest of his personality traits. It was probably those same quirks that caused women to find him less handsome than he was. He was tall with a muscular frame and kind eyes. She had always been one to notice eyes first. If he would use his real smile more often, the warm and beautiful one from earlier, that would be another point for him. The eyebrows and hair could use some work, the clothes also left a little something to be desired. But for the most part, he was pretty easy on the eyes.

She turned her attention back to the path they were traveling. His confessions had actually helped her on this mission as well. It gave her a glimpse to the man underneath, and she found she truly did want to know that man.

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The sun was just beginning to fall when they entered the border town, hot, sweaty and in desperate need of a shower. Food would be good too, but Sakura felt too grimy to worry about her stomach. "I vote we find a hotel, get showered and then go to dinner."

Gai smiled over at her. "You read my mind, Sakura. This marriage may work after all."

Sakura laughed lightly at him. "Yes, I know. Being married to me is always a pleasure."

He spotted a decent looking hotel and tilted his head in its direction. "How does that one look to you?"

"Perfect. Come on, must shower." She tugged lightly on their still joined hands and he chuckled at her antics.

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After securing their room for the night, Gai sat on the bed and chewed his thumbnail as Sakura showered. She had seemed sincere in her words and actions, but he had believed himself to be hideous for so long that he couldn't shake the feeling she was only trying to be nice. It would fit with her personality. She wasn't one to hurt others or bring them down.

The water turned off and a few minutes later when the lock on the bathroom door clicked, he gathered his things and smiled at the kunoichi as they traded places. "There's a pamphlet on the nightstand that lists various restaurants in the area. Why don't you pick what we eat tonight? I'm so hungry I don't care as long as it's edible."

Sakura giggled at him. "Sure thing."

After showering and dressing, Gai barely had time to put his dirty clothes in his pack before Sakura was dragging him out the door. "Clothes can wait, food now!"

With a hearty chuckle, he allowed the ravenous pink-haired kunoichi to drag him from the hotel.

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A/N: Another chapter out. I don't want things to seem rushed, but at the same time, I don't want to get to some far off chapter and still have Sakura working up the courage to hold his hand, ya know? Plus I don't want this to become some huge epic. I'm thinking 10-15 chapters maybe. And then it's only that high because I'm trying to keep the chapters all around this length. Bah, enough babbling. Please review if you have the time! Hugs & Kisses!


	3. Chapter 3

Whee! More Gai/Sakura, my new guilty pleasure. Though there are so few fics it's hard to indulge. (sigh) Ah well. Here's chapter 3 and hope you enjoy!

I had a couple PMs asking whether this was romance or friendship. I actually put it in romance cause there may be some undertones and because of what the mission entails, but it's mostly friendship. Hope everyone is still on board!

To everyone who has reviewed, a huge THANK YOU!! It's nice to know that even though this isn't a popular pairing, someone out there is as twisted as I am. Love you all and Hugs & Kisses!

Disclaimer and Warnings: See chapter 1.

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Solace

Chapter 3

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Gai finally matched Sakura's furious pace. The woman was on a mission and that mission was to get some food. She pulled the green clad jounin into a tiny restaurant and toward a booth in a corner. Trying to get an idea of what they served from his surroundings, Gai was stumped. "Uh, Sakura?"

"Hmm?"

"What do they serve here?"

"Oh, they serve just about everything. I came here once back in the days of Team 7 and it was soooo good." Her eyes turned slightly dreamy and Gai just arched an eyebrow at her.

After ordering their drinks and meals, Sakura turned her attention to Gai now that she knew food was on the way. She tilted her head to regard him and he grew uncomfortable with her scrutiny. "What?"

Sakura propped her chin in her hand. "I know Lee can't use genjutsu or ninjutsu and everyone says you two have the same fighting style. So, can you use genjutsu or ninjutsu?"

"I can. But I enjoy using taijutsu and honestly, my taijutsu is better than any genjutsu or ninjutsu I have so I normally don't use them at all." He scratched at the back of his head, a little embarrassed.

Sakura nodded. "I have that problem in reverse. My genjutsu is really good, my ninjutsu is okay and my taijutsu is only good for defense or if my opponent is slow. For instance, I could easily knock Kakashi out with one punch. But I can never catch him to land that punch."

"Ah, yes. My eternal rival is a slick one."

With a roll of her eyes, Sakura sighed. "No 'eternal rival' remarks or 'flames of burning youth' speeches or 'springtime' things! Remember, I want to get to know the man underneath the flowery words."

Gai shifted in his seat. It had been so long since he had just been himself. "What do you want to know?"

Sakura mulled the thought over in her head. Gai watched her green eyes narrow in thought and couldn't help his own thoughts. _ 'She's so beautiful.'_

A light seemed to click on and Sakura faced Gai with a grin. "What were you like as a child? Prankster? Serious child? Favorite things to do? That sort of thing."

Gai smiled slightly as he recounted his youth. "Well, I guess I was a pretty serious kid. I worked hard and was a dedicated student. I graduated at 7."

Sakura's eyes grew wide. "Seven?! Really?!"

Gai put his hands up. "It's not as great as you think. We were in the midst of a war. Shinobi were pumped out much quicker than they are now because they were needed on the front lines. There was no time for fun and games. We went to school, they drilled the basics into our heads, gave us a few beginners' jutsu and sent us off."

Sakura frowned. "That's awful. So you didn't get to really be a kid?"

Gai shook his head. "Not really. It's okay though. I wouldn't be who I am today if not for that upbringing. And I really do enjoy my life now. I have adorable students who have grown into fine people, I have loyal friends, a village I adore and now I'm having dinner with a gorgeous woman who just so happens to be my wife. Doesn't get much better than this." He winked at the green-eyed kunoichi and she blushed.

"Thank you for the compliment." Did Gai just _flirt_ with her? The thought was a little disconcerting, but gave the young woman hope at the same time. If she was trying to drag him out of his barriers, and the Gai she knew would never flirt, then maybe her efforts were having an effect. And truthfully, no matter who it is, a girl likes to know someone finds her attractive!

The food arrived just after his comment so there was no uncomfortable silence. Sakura's eyes lit up as her dish was placed in front of her. "Fooooood."

Gai snickered at her behavior. "A little hungry?"

"Gai, I am starving. Seriously, you know how your stomach rumbles and then you go past that point to nausea and then you go past that point and you don't even feel hungry anymore?"

He did know what she was talking about. A not-so-pleasant stay in an Earth Country prison during the last shinobi war taught him that feeling all too well. He mutely nodded.

"Yeah, I'm there." She zealously dug into her food.

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Happily full and humming a little tune, Sakura thread her fingers through Gai's as they made their way back to the hotel. Deciding to step it up a notch, she shifted closer until she was pressed to his side and lifted her free hand to wrap around his arm.

She felt Gai stiffen slightly and gave a soft laugh. "You can't tense up on me, Gai."

The green clad shinobi chuckled nervously. "Sorry, sorry. I'm not used to this and I don't normally go on these sorts of missions."

Sakura held her questions at bay as they entered the hotel and made their way up to their room. Once inside and away from prying ears, Sakura settled on the bed sitting next to her companion. "What did you mean by 'these sorts of missions'?"

Gai sighed. "Undercover marriage missions aren't ones I'm usually chosen for. They pick the more attractive men."

Sakura lightly slapped him on the shoulder. "There you go again. Putting yourself down. Stop it! There is nothing wrong with you, do you hear me?"

Gai looked at her pout with a fond smile. "Thank you, Sakura."

Her pink tresses bobbed as she nodded at him with a smile before heading into the bathroom to change for bed. When she emerged, she saw Gai chewing his thumbnail again and sighed. "Do you even have a thumbnail left?"

Gai held up the thumb in question with one of his teeth sparkling smiles. "A little bit."

Sakura laughed as she flopped onto one side of the bed. After her chuckles had subsided, she turned to face the man sitting next to her with a serious expression. "Gai?"

"Hmm?"

"Why do you look so troubled?"

Gai paused in the abuse of his thumb and laid back next to the kunoichi. "I still feel guilty for putting you in this situation."

Sakura clucked her tongue at him. "Gai, Gai, Gai." she shook her head at him. "If it wasn't you, it would have been someone else. I could have ended up with someone I hated, or some asshole who wanted to take things too far, or a total stranger." She smiled brightly at the man next to her. "Sure there are other people I'm more comfortable with because I've known them for years. And if not for this mission, I wouldn't have had the opportunity to meet the real you. I'm thankful that you decided to help out."

The Green Beast gave a little nod of understanding and Sakura yawned. "Good night, Gai." She leaned over to peck him lightly on the cheek before turning her back to him swiftly to hide her burning cheeks. Gai felt a silly smile full of wonder spreading over his face and brought his fingers up to touch the area her lips had been. Not one to be outdone and figuring it was okay since she started it, he leaned over the kunoichi, a hand bracing himself on her upper arm. He whispered, "Good night." into her ear before lowering himself to place his lips hesitantly against her cheek.

He turned his back to her to face the wall and smiled brightly before sleep claimed him.

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Sakura awoke to the feeling of being crushed on one side. Once her groggy mind made sense of the pressure, she realized Gai was half-way lying on top of her in his sleep. She would have punched him if she didn't find the situation so funny. Plus, he was on his back so it's not like anything inappropriate was touching her.

With much finesse, she managed to wiggle out from under him and headed into the bathroom to get ready for the day. Before she closed the door, she looked over to observe her 'husband'. He looked much younger in his sleep, but then most people did. The most surprising thing to her was he didn't snore. Not that she had ever really thought about it, but with his mostly boisterous personality she had him pegged as a snorer. She watched the steady rise and fall of his chest for a few seconds before finally closing the door to change.

When she emerged, Gai was sitting on the bed but his eyes were still half-closed and he looked as though he would pass back out at any second. Green eyes swept over his mess of hair and his barely conscious expression. "You know, if you're still tired you can go back to sleep. We're staying here today to get to know each other better."

Gai waved her off with a grunt and lumbered his way into the bathroom. She gave a shake of her head as she heard the shower start. "Someone's grouchy." Spotting the tiny room service menu on the nightstand, she scurried over and frowned. There wasn't much to choose from. She chose the breakfast sampler which had a little bit of everything and hoped it would arrive around the same time Gai got out of the bathroom. Maybe some food would help to soothe his mood.

The feel of his shower had woken him up physically and the smell of coffee coming from the main room had his temperament brightening. Sakura kept quiet as Gai came out of the bathroom, merely glancing at him as she took a sip of her coffee. When he finally offered her a smile, she spoke. "I take it you're not a morning person?"

His smile turned apologetic. "Sorry, I probably should have warned you. I'm not really human until I get a shower and some coffee."

Sakura giggled as she gestured to the food. "I ordered some breakfast for us, so help yourself."

Gai grabbed a piece of toast and began to butter it. "So we're staying here today?"

Sakura nodded. "Shishou wanted us to have plenty of time to get used to this whole married idea. It's pretty crucial to the mission that we don't arouse suspicion." She paused to think over her previous statement. "That was a pretty obvious thing to say since it applies to _any_ mission."

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Sakura and Gai were laying on their stomachs on the bed, side by side and staring out the window on the other side of the room. "So, it's my turn now." The mission partners were having a question and answer session to learn more about each other. Sakura chewed her bottom lip as she searched for a question. "Ooh, I've got one. Do you really follow through with those bet punishments you impose upon yourself during your contests with Kakashi?"

Gai nodded. "I know they may seem outlandish, but they do provide training. Plus it's a thing of honor. If I say I'll do it, then I'll do it." Gai grinned. "Okay, are you still in love with the Uchiha?"

Sakura's nose wrinkled. "Heavens no! You can't watch someone try to kill your best friend and still love them. I think what I felt for Sasuke was nothing more than a crush. Mind you at 12, crushes can be terribly strong but that's all in the past." She wracked her brain for another question and then grinned slyly. "If you can ask those sort of questions, then so can I. Have you ever dated anyone I know?"

Gai sighed. "I went on a few dates with the kunoichi instructor, Suzume-sensei."

The scene from the gates filtered through Sakura's mind and she turned to face him. "What happened with that?"

"I was sent on a long-term mission and when I returned, she was busy at the academy and we just never made the effort to rekindle anything."

Sakura bumped him on the shoulder playfully. "Maybe you should."

Gai shook his head in the negative. "I don't think she's interested."

"Have you asked her?"

"Well, no."

"Then you don't know until you try."

Gai gave a shrug. "Maybe."

"Maito Gai! This is not like you. The Gai I know would not give up that easily." Another thought struck Sakura and she stopped mid-rant. "Wait. Are you interested in pursuing anything with her?"

Gai glanced at the kunoichi out of the corner of his eye. "I wouldn't be against it. But at the same time, it was nothing serious between us so there's really no sense of loss."

Sakura stood and stretched, not wanting to get into a depressing conversation she changed the subject. "I'm tired of hanging around here all day. Let's head out for a walk or something." She turned to her pack and grabbed their mission funds. "Actually, we need civilian attire. Let's go shopping."

Gai groaned, but complied with the woman's wishes.

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Hours later and mentally drained, Gai and his 'wife' returned to the hotel, each carrying a bag of new clothes. Sakura smiled brightly at the tired man. "We should get some sleep. We leave tomorrow fairly early. And since we'll be traveling as civilians, we can't use chakra or the trees to get to our destination."

Gai nodded and happily moved into the bathroom to change. Sakura was gathering her bath things when he came out and she stopped in her tracks as she looked at him. The previous night he had passed out in his jumpsuit so this was her first time seeing him in normal sleepwear. Clothed in dark sweatpants and a black tank top, he looked almost nothing like the taijutsu master she knew. Except for that hair cut. She set her things down and moved to stand in front of him.

Gai looked up at her questioningly. "Something I can help you with?"

"Gai, can I try something?"

He tilted his head to the side. "Depends what you're going to try."

Wordlessly, Sakura moved into the bathroom, grabbed his brush and ran it under the water. She shook it once so it wasn't too wet and then came back to stand in front of him. She bent down so they were eye level and started to work with his hair, brushing this way and that. A few minutes later she lowered herself to his eye level again and smiled softly. With his hair parted on the side and brushed slightly back, he looked entirely different in a good way. "Your hair looks nice like that."

His black eyes watched her lips form the words, just inches from his own. Unable to stop himself, he leaned forward and lightly brushed his lips against hers. Almost as soon as their lips touched he flung himself backwards. "I'm so sorry! I know I said you would call the shots and I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me and it won't happen again. I'm so-"

His words were cut off when Sakura pressed a finger to his lips. "Stop apologizing. It had to happen sooner or later and quite frankly, I'm not sure I would have been able to gather the courage to do it. So thank you. And it's going to have to happen quite a few more times so we're comfortable with it."

She removed her finger from his lips and placed a hand on his shoulder as she bent forward slowly. Sakura pressed her lips lightly to his, a barely there touch but it caused both of them to blush heavily. She moved back with a small smile and rushed into the bathroom to shower.

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The next morning, the two shinobi dressed in their civilian clothes and barely spoke a word to each other, feeling awkward and embarrassed about the previous night's kiss. As Sakura moved to check the bathroom and make sure they weren't forgetting anything, she brushed against Gai's arm and the man jumped slightly and moved away. "Sorry."

Sakura rolled her eyes at his mumbled apology. "For Heaven's sake, if things are going to be this awkward then it may as well be worth it." She grabbed a wide-eyed Gai and spun him to face her, placing both her hands on his shoulders she leaned up and captured his lips in a more insistent and heated kiss than before.

He squeaked in surprise before relaxing and allowed his arms to wrap around her waist. If she was going to kiss him, he was going to make the most of it. Maito Gai did not do things by halves! How long had it been since he had kissed someone? He couldn't quite remember, so it had been far too long in his opinion. He allowed one hand to slip up into her hair and Sakura pressed herself closer to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. Sakura's tongue slid along his lips and Gai met her eagerly, tongues meeting and sliding against each other erotically.

Finally Sakura pulled away, flushed and trying to regain her breath while waiting for her heart to slow back down to its normal tempo. Gai let his eyes open and stared at the kunoichi across from him. That was much nicer than he remembered. A little stumped for what to say he merely grinned at her.

Sakura's mind was reeling. That kiss was one of the best she had ever had. But then again, when Gai did something, he didn't hold back and Sakura figured kissing would be no different. Too bad she didn't feel anything more than friendship for the man. She smiled back at him. "Are we okay now? No awkwardness or anything like that?"

Gai shook his head. "I'm fine." Funny how the little kiss had made him uneasy, but having her kiss him senseless was okay. It didn't make sense, but that's how it works sometimes.

She piled her hair up into a messy bun and hoisted her pack up onto her shoulders. "Let's go, then!"

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A/N: Please review if you have time! Hugs & Kisses!


	4. Chapter 4

I want to thank everyone for the encouraging reviews! I was really only expecting a handful of people to ever read this, so it's a nice surprise. Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimers and Warnings: See chapter 1. Also, there's a little citrus in this chapter. It isn't full-blown, but things get a little heated for our dear mission partners. Just a little warning.

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Solace

Chapter 4

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As the couple ambled along the pathway, they decided to start in with their cover. They still had a few days before they would end up in enemy territory, but the sooner they acted married, the better. Sakura kept stealing sideways glances at the man whose arm she was hugging as they walked. That kiss that morning had taken her by surprise. Yes she was the one that instigated it, but Gai's answering passion and sheer talent had left her breathless and a little tingly. If women would give the man a chance she was sure he'd have his own horde of fangirls soon enough.

As they passed through a tiny village, Gai turned to his wife. "Sweetie, would you like to stop here for lunch?" Even though Sakura was not one for endearments, Gai was. And Sakura actually kind of enjoyed it.

"Sure. I'm starting to get a little hungry. What about you?"

"Same here."

The conversations had been short but flowed easily enough. Anybody passing by would have just guessed them to be a couple easy with each other's silence. There were no outward signs of the internal struggles they were both dealing with. Sakura was trying to come to terms with her blossoming slight attraction to the man. Gai was trying to figure out a proper time to kiss her again. After so long without kissing someone, he was feeling a bit like a starving man in front of a buffet. He was supposed to be her newly-wed husband, but he didn't want to take advantage of the situation if it made her uncomfortable.

They entered a cozy looking eatery and Sakura smiled bashfully as Gai pulled her chair out for her. "Thank you."

"Anything for my favorite lady." Gai really would be a great catch for someone someday. Despite her budding attraction, she knew they would never be a couple. They just didn't fit together in that capacity.

Seeing the opportunity to be a grateful wife and noting the looks the employees were giving them, Sakura leaned across the table to peck Gai lightly on the lips. Giving him a teasing smile she whispered, "Charmer."

Gai smiled brightly back, a light dusting of pink on his cheeks.

The waitress came over to take their orders and raised an eyebrow at the hands that were clasped across the table. Getting the wrong idea given the age difference, she frowned down at the two and spoke to Gai. "Can I get you and your...companion...anything?"

Sakura grit her teeth. The nerve of that woman! "Could my _husband _and I have a minute?" Sakura smiled sweetly back, a smile that was too sweet to be anything but evil.

The waitress blinked a few times in surprise and her cheeks flushed in embarrassment. "I'll be back in a minute."

Gai watched the woman until she was almost to the counter and then grinned back at a still fuming Sakura. "You okay?"

"How could she just assume...I mean...I don't look like a...ugh." She pouted and Gai tightened his hold on the hand in his, running a soothing thumb over her fingers.

"Don't worry about people like that. You know with our age difference it's going to happen. Just remember we don't ever have to see these people again. We're starting our new life together. We didn't take the criticism from our home village and we certainly don't need to take it from some little village we pass through."

Sakura nodded at the man across from her. "You always know just what to say to make me feel better. One of the many reasons I married you."

The conversation was totally fabricated to help the two get into character and to start perpetuating their marital story, but the shy glances and grateful smiles were completely genuine.

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Gai slipped his arm around Sakura's shoulders and placed a light kiss to the top of her head as they wandered into a little town that evening. Looking up with a shy smile, she slipped her arm around Gai's waist and cuddled into his warm side as they searched for a hotel.

Spotting a quaint inn not too far into town, the pair reserved a room and trodded upstairs, ready to turn in for the night. Once showered and feeling ten times better since they were clean, Sakura leaned against the headboard of the bed and blushed as Gai did the same. They needed to discuss sleeping arrangements and get more comfortable with kissing. Both were things Sakura would rather not have to talk about.

"Gai?"

With his hair still shower damp and slightly ruffled, Sakura felt her pulse quicken. Somehow just wearing his hair different took the man from odd to freakin' sexy. "Yes?"

"We need to talk about some things." She found sudden interest in her nervously twisting hands and Gai wondered what was running through her pretty pink head. "Um, we'll need to sleep like a married couple sleeps. Last night, we fell asleep as far apart from each other as possible. And while the odds of anyone in the compound seeing us sleep are slim, we need to consider the possibility of spies."

Gai nodded. "Yes, that's very true. If the organization is indeed a criminal one, they probably don't trust anyone and keep all newcomers under tight surveillance."

Sakura reddened even further and Gai wondered what had her so flustered. "We also should get more comfortable with the...uh...kissing." Her words ended in a whisper and Gai grinned.

"I know this will probably cause a frown, but you're just too cute sometimes."

As predicted, the kunoichi directed a tiny frown and pout combo at him and Gai grinned even wider. "Sorry, I can't help it. The blushing is just cute coming from a fierce kunoichi. Plain and simple." He leaned over and pecked the still blushing young woman on the lips, causing the color on her face to deepen even further.

Sakura gave a groan before grabbing a pamphlet on the nightstand and vigorously fanning herself. "If I don't stop blushing soon, my face will turn purple. Either that or my head's gonna burst."

Gai gave an amused shake of his head before getting back to Sakura's concerns. "Well, I'm up for kissing practice anytime." He gave a suggestive eyebrow wiggle and Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Pervert."

"As for sleeping, well most couples just cuddle up together. There isn't really any correct way to do it so long as both parties are comfortable."

Sakura thought for a second. "I'm most comfortable on my back or stomach. If I lay on my side, I don't know what to do with the bottom arm to get comfy."

Gai gestured for Sakura to lie down, which she hesitatingly did. "If you lay on your back, I could lay like this." Gai slid close to her, slinging one leg over hers and wrapping an arm around her waist. Of course, the same position works if you lay on your stomach also."

Laying completely still, Sakura pondered the position. It was odd having Gai so close to her, but at the same time it felt nice. "I like this."

Gai smiled affectionately at her. "Good. Then this is how we'll fall asleep. During the night we may toss and turn and end up on opposite sides of the bed again, but that's normal so it's okay."

Sakura turned to smile thankfully at Gai and when she took in the sexily disheveled look he had going on, she blushed and bit her lip. The two met in the middle for a chaste and innocent kiss. When it ended, Gai raised himself up slightly so he could look down at Sakura. He brushed a stray piece of hair out of her face and trailed his knuckles down her cheek softly. "Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?"

Sakura blushed but smiled playfully at him. "Charmer."

Gai leaned down and let his lips ever so lightly brush against hers, the contact barely there. Sakura deepened the contact, pressing her mouth harder against his but keeping the kiss innocent. With his manly scent invading her senses and his lips feeling wonderful against hers and his muscular upper body pressed to hers, Sakura felt a jolt of arousal shoot up her spine and threaded her fingers into Gai's hair before softly biting his bottom lip.

The unexpected action unleashed the aggressiveness Gai had been holding back. With a slight growl, he pressed his tongue to her lips and slowly slipped in as her lips parted. As he lazily and sensually rubbed his tongue along hers, Sakura gave a little whimpering moan. She was beginning to wish she had looser morals. Gai's kiss was making her yearn for something more, something more physically enjoyable. And if the hardness pressing against her thigh was any indication, Gai wanted that something also. However, she just wasn't a person who could separate sex and love and while she was sorely tempted to go further, she knew she would regret it once it was over.

The kiss grew more hungry and passionate as Gai grabbed the back of Sakura's head to deepen the kiss even more. The hardness against her thigh pulsed and Sakura felt a tinge of sympathy for Gai. That was going to hurt in a few hours and would continue to hurt well into the morning. She could help, though. It would possibly sate some of her own lust and keep her mission partner from pain. And it wasn't like he would penetrate her so it wasn't technically sex. Her core involuntarily clenched at just the thought and her mind was made up.

Gai's hand had grown bolder and a thumb flicked against one of her puckered nipples and she broke the kiss to gasp at the unbelievable pleasure. Sure she had been with Lee once, but they had both been virgins and the experience was clumsy, rushed and fumbled. Gai's skillful ministrations were working her into a frenzy far quicker than Lee's innocent touches. She needed to stop this before she let it go further than she was willing.

She pushed Gai onto his back so she was the one half straddling him. She kissed him again, all the while getting more aroused and losing her inhibitions as Gai's thumb continued its flicking. She pulled back and leaned her forehead against the taijutsu master's, both struggling to catch their breath.

Sakura slowly reached down to grasp Gai's hardness and he gasped, unable to stop himself from arching into the touch. "This will hurt if we don't take care of it, won't it?" She raised her head to look at Gai and felt her mouth go dry at the sight. His cheeks were flushed and his lips were swollen and red from their kissing. He opened his closed eyes halfway and Sakura was even more turned on just by the darkened, pleading look in them. This man was damn sexy! What the hell was _wrong _with the women in her village? The fact that she used to be one of them never crossed her mind.

She stroked the bulge experimentally and Gai groaned while his hips gave another thrust. "Sakura, please." The softly spoken plea snapped Sakura out of her daze.

"Will this hurt if we don't take care of it?" She repeated her question more forcefully, intent on getting an answer.

"Yes."

Arousal clouding his judgment, Gai lifted his hips so Sakura could lower his shorts and boxers. Her eyes widened at the sight of his erection standing proudly. She had never taken the time to study Lee's, so this was new to her. She wrapped her hand around the shaft and pumped slowly a few times, watching Gai's face for his reactions. She jumped slightly when his hand clamped around hers, forcing her to tighten her grip and guiding her in a faster and harder rhythm.

"Like this?"

Gai groaned as she caught on. "Just like that."

Sakura looked down to what her hand was doing and curiosity got the better of her as she noticed the bead of liquid on his tip. Lowering her head, she licked at the moisture and with Gai's deeper groan and his hands fisting in the sheets, she felt her core clench again. Her lust driving her to do more than she had originally intended, she let her tongue travel the length from base to tip and back down.

Gai's long fingers grasped her hips and swung her around so he could press his hand against her through her shorts. She lowered her forehead onto his thigh as a moan tore through her. "Gai, I don't want to do any more than that."

"I won't push you, but at least let me ease you as well. You can keep the shorts on, I promise."

He pressed his hand harder against her, the heel of his hand rubbing her bundle of nerves as his fingers pressed along her slit through the thin cotton. His hand made back and forth motions, earning multiple moans from the pink-headed woman. His other hand reached down to knead a breast and Sakura began to rock back onto the hand at her crotch. Gai's hand on her breast moved to thread into her hair and Sakura was reminded of her earlier actions.

She swirled her tongue around the mushroom-shaped tip, drawing a growl from Gai as his hand tightened in her hair and gently pushed down. Sakura opened her mouth and allowed herself to be led, spurred on by Gai's obvious pleasure. When she gagged slightly, Gai removed his hand and went back to fondling her chest. Sakura recalled all the things she had heard from the shameless women at the hot springs and relaxed her throat before sliding further down his length. She continued to ease her way down in this manner until his entire cock was in her mouth. She worked her tongue as she bobbed her head and it caused Gai's touches to intensify and Sakura could feel her release approaching.

She continued to rock back onto his hand and realized that if she timed it so she moaned with him buried in her mouth, it caused a moan from him and his attentions to her breasts increased in roughness. A particularly hard pinch to her nipple caused her release to rip through her. She moaned loudly around Gai's cock and he began to thrust up into her mouth, her release bringing him closer to his own.

He tried to pry her away but she was having none of it as she worked faster along his hardness. "Sakura, I'm going to cum." She finally raised her head and flipped herself around so she could kiss him deeply as her hand continued to pump his throbbing length, the slickness making the rough jerking motions easier. Gai moaned into her mouth as his own orgasm caused him to release on his stomach and Sakura's hand. She eased her pumping before stopping altogether and grinned at her 'husband'.

He pulled Sakura down for a more languid and gentle kiss. "Thank you."

Green eyes sparkled as she laughed lightly. "I don't know why you're thanking me when I enjoyed it just as much. So, thank you as well."

"Let me go clean up. I'll be right back."

After he was done, Sakura went in to wash her hands. When she returned she laid on her stomach, wrapping her arm and slinging her leg over Gai who was on his back, looking sternly at the ceiling. "Why did you do that?"

Sakura propped her chin in her free hand. "I wanted to. That kiss had me sort of...uh...hot and bothered. So...I wanted to." She flushed deeply at her admission.

Gai turned to face her, his expression serious. "I don't repulse you?"

Sakura's jaw dropped. Did the man not realize how sexy he could be? "Haven't we covered this already? Do you have any clue how irresistible you can be? I was blushing earlier because I wanted you to kiss me. And do I even need to tell you how talented you are at that? Because seriously, it's really, _really_ good." She shook her head slightly. "If the women of Konoha would open their eyes, you would have fangirls following you everywhere. I have to admit I used to be like them, refusing to see past the jumpsuit and bowl cut. But as I've gotten to know you, I have to admit I'm becoming more and more attracted to you. Which is bad, because we just wouldn't work in a relationship. We wouldn't try one anyway since it would hurt Lee."

Gai frowned. He hadn't even considered Lee while he and Sakura were engaged in their previous activities. "Sakura, can we keep this from Lee?"

She snuggled closer into his side. "Of course. I wouldn't intentionally hurt him." Her sleepy voice spoke again as she drifted off. "This is so wrong, but it feels so good to be with you like this."

Gai kissed her forehead before whispering. "You're dangerous, kunoichi. Lonely men like me can't resist your charms that well."

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Sakura woke up looking at Gai's shirt clad chest, smiling slightly at the memories of the previous night. She didn't regret one second of what they did. She truly was more fond of him than was healthy, but it couldn't be helped. The heart has a mind of its own. She wrapped her arms around his torso and squeezed in a hug.

Gai's arms tightened in their spot around her and he kissed the top of her head as he woke up. He silently rubbed his hands along her back, wondering if she was okay with what had happened. Deciding he wasn't going to get answers unless he asked, he put a finger under her chin to tilt her head up. "Are we okay or are things going to be tense today?"

Sakura smiled. "I'm fine with what happened. It was a mutually enjoyable thing between two consenting adults so there's no reason to be ashamed or awkward."

Gai rolled to his back, pulling Sakura so her head was pillowed on his chest. "Good." They laid like that for a while just enjoying each other's presence until Sakura sat up and began to gather her things for a shower.

"We need to get moving. We have a lot of ground to cover in the next couple of days." She leaned over and kissed Gai on the forehead before heading into the bathroom.

Once inside, she looked in the mirror and frowned. _'Don't get into something you can't handle, Haruno. You know you and that man would never work.' _The problem would be convincing herself it was true.

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A/N: Taadaa! Sorry, I was getting impatient waiting for the lemon, so I stuck in a little bit of mini-smut. Hope no one feels it's rushed or strange. After all, hormones can cause people to do things they normally wouldn't do. Reviews appreciated! Hugs & Kisses!


	5. Chapter 5

Ah, the reviews make me giddy and want to write more! Thank you to those who are reading and reviewing! Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: See chapter 1.

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Solace

Chapter 5

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Sakura was getting increasingly agitated with the slow pace they had to travel to maintain their cover. The fuse on her temper was fizzling down to nothing and she feared if they didn't reach their destination soon she would blow her top. It wasn't Gai's fault and she wasn't mad at him, but with no one else to snap at she worried he'd catch the brunt of it.

Gai on the other hand, had taken to looking at it as a challenge. If he could maintain his patience and resist the urge to go flying through the trees, then surely that would make him a more consummate ninja. He had been sensing Sakura's ire for the past couple of days and didn't speak unless spoken to so she wouldn't get angry with him.

Gai began praying for mercy when his 'wife' started to growl and then nearly wept for joy when the town housing their target came into view. "Sakura, we're here! The village we can start our new lives in!"

Immediately the growl ceased and Sakura's face did a complete turn around. The snarl disappeared and a bright smile lit her pretty face. Acting the part of loving and pleased wife to perfection, she giddily pounced on her mission partner with a fierce hug. The two clasped hands as they entered the village and began taking in the sights as they searched for a hotel.

The events from a few nights previous had not been repeated and the kissing had been kept more innocent, the fear of hormones taking control keeping them in check. Neither regretted their actions, but knew any repeats could either complicate the mission or allow feelings they were trying to block to surface.

Sakura spotted a nice-sized inn and pointed it out. "That one looks nice. Why don't we stay there?"

Gai nodded. "After we get settled in, maybe we should go take a look around since this will be our new home. Maybe I'll find some work."

Sakura happily agreed as the pair made their way into the inn.

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As had become their routine, once settled and cleaned the couple set out to eat. There was still some question about whether the group they were to investigate were actual criminals. Given that there was suspicion, it was safe to assume the worst. Gai noticed a small bar and grill that looked less than welcoming and motioned to Sakura, who gave her agreement. Places like that almost always had a few ruffians lurking about who could shine some light on the area's darker dealings. It was always better to seek out the trouble than to have them come looking for you.

Once they entered the dark restaurant, the mission partners discreetly took notice of the patrons and their surroundings. None of the customers were particularly friendly-looking, but there was a rowdy group toward the back of the bar area that drew Gai's attention. He had a hunch they were worth keeping an eye on. And as with any seasoned ninja, Gai's hunches were usually correct.

Sakura smiled as Gai motioned to a corner booth and slid in opposite from him. Gai leaned close, black eyes serious as he glanced over to the group he was interested in. "Sakura, there's a group of four in the back that I'm suspicious of."

"Three loud ones and the quiet blonde?"

"Yes. Usually, groups like that are drawn to pretty women so don't be surprised if they approach you. And if they do, let me handle it."

Sakura pouted at him. "I know how to do my job, Gai. You don't have to coach me."

That real smile graced his face along with a pink tint. "Sorry, I'm used to being team leader. I don't do many equal partnership missions."

The pout softened and she grasped his hand. "It's fine. Now _husband_, we need some food!"

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The duo didn't have long to wait before they had company. Irked at being disturbed halfway through her much needed meal, Sakura had to fight the urge to pummel the men and get it over with. Gai's eyes narrowed and his face contorted in a scowl as one of the men had the audacity to slide in the booth next to Sakura. A tattooed arm snaked around her shoulders and she stiffened, looking up at Gai with a very real 'get this fucker off me' expression.

His chopsticks snapped as he spoke in a low growl. "I suggest you remove your arm from my wife."

Ignoring Gai, the man turned to Sakura and his lips split in a crooked grin, a few teeth missing. "Ditch the weirdo and come with us, girlie. I know we can show you a good time." He stroked his chin as he looked her over suggestively and his cronies chuckled in agreement.

Sakura didn't even look at him, her eyes locked on Gai. "I would rather stay with my husband. Thank you."

Gai couldn't see what exactly was happening, but he did see the man's opposite shoulder shift and then Sakura stiffened even further, eyes opening wider in shock. The taijutsu master didn't bother to investigate and instead acted. Before Sakura could blink, the thug was removed and flung onto the neighboring table by Gai. The other two moved to help their friend but one was taken out with a roundhouse kick and the other by a fist. The first stood with a stagger, intent on getting back into the fray but Gai slammed his forearm into the man's throat and had him pinned to the table.

"You listen to me, because I won't tell you again. Touch my wife again and I will kill you. No hesitation, no questions asked." The man floundered from lack of oxygen until he was hauled up and Gai chopped him in the back of the neck, rendering him unconscious.

Sakura and Gai left in a hurry to head back to their hotel, but not without noticing the quiet blonde from the trouble making group as he got up and watched where they went.

Safely inside their room, Sakura started to rant. "The nerve of that creep! Putting his arm around me like that and his hand on my knee. Like I'd want anything to do with scum like him! Treating me like some common whore. And I didn't even get to finish my food!" She plopped on the bed with a whine, mourning the lost meal. "It was surprisingly good, too."

Gai chuckled at her adorable display. "It was probably good only because we were starving." He turned serious as he sat next to the pouting kunoichi. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Her huffed posture deflated as she laid her head on Gai's broad shoulder. "Thank you for stopping him before it got any further."

With a quick kiss to her forehead, Gai stood and headed to the door. "Why don't you go ahead and shower? I'll run to the little stand at the corner and get us something to eat."

Sakura nodded, grateful for his thoughtful suggestion. "Thank you."

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When Sakura emerged from the shower and Gai still wasn't back, she started to worry. It shouldn't have taken him that long to get the food. She had even taken an extra long shower to get the guy's grease from her. She was about to leave the room and search for him when he entered, a bag of food under his arm and a wide smile on his face.

"I'm not sure what to make of that look."

The smile widened. "I met someone on the way to get food."

Sakura just arched an eyebrow. "And?"

"Turns out the blonde guy from the restaurant is in charge of employment at the compound. He said they need some strong men for security and I have been invited to work there."

Sakura kept quiet and made a motion with her hands for him to continue.

"He asked about you and I told him our cover. He said they would provide accommodations for us since they like to keep security on the compound's property."

Sakura snorted. "More like they can keep an eye on us."

"True. But it's the in we needed, so we're good."

Sakura dug into the sandwich Gai handed her with gusto. The man quirked an eyebrow at the seemingly ravenous kunoichi. "We just had half a meal. Are you still that hungry?"

Sakura paused to swallow her chunk of food, a sheepish expression on her face. "Sorry. I guess it's just some left over tension from earlier."

Gai smiled fondly at the young woman on the bed next to him before changing the subject. "So, I accepted the job at the compound, obviously, and we're supposed to be there tomorrow at dawn with all of our things. They'll give us the day to get settled and then tomorrow night I start work. I'm hoping that you'll have free run of the place so you can investigate while I work."

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Sakura and Gai stood in front of the massive stone wall surrounding the compound at dawn. Sakura cocked her head to the side, studying the structure. "Piece of cake."

"What?" Gai looked worriedly at his mission partner, fearing for her sanity.

"The wall. Breaking it down will be a piece of cake."

Realization dawned on the taijutsu user as he nodded. "I don't know if we're supposed to just go in or what. I don't see an intercom or anything to let them know we're here."

The gate opened and the blonde man from the restaurant smiled at them, the expression more unsettling than friendly. "Welcome. I'm Shinji, the head of employment here at our humble establishment."

Gai nodded at him in greeting. "Thank you for the opportunity here, Shinji-san." He enveloped Sakura's waist in one strong arm. "This is my lovely new bride, Sakura. We're very excited about starting our new life together here."

Sakura settled into Gai's side, quietly observing the compound. As her eyes landed on Shinji, she noticed his eyes doing a perusal of her figure and subconsciously snuggled further into Gai. "Yes, thank you for employing my husband, sir."

Shinji's face took on the same fake smile from before. "Of course. Shall I show you to your quarters?"

The duo followed him down a labyrinth of corridors and hallways until they reached a deserted area of the compound. "I've located you in what will be the couples' living quarters. We only have one other married couple right now so you don't have any neighbors. It isn't much, but hopefully it will suffice."

Sakura surveyed the small room and attached bathroom. It wasn't much larger than a room at an inn, but considering they would only live there a few weeks at most, she didn't really mind. She smiled sweetly and nodded at Gai who turned to Shinji. "Thank you. We'll be fine here."

"I'll leave you two to unpack and get settled in. Remember to report in at 8:00 in the evening at the front gate to start work."

Gai stopped him. "Shinji-san, are my wife and I allowed to come and go as we please?"

Shinji nodded. "Everyone here has free run of the compound and can go into town as they wish. The only area that is restricted is the private quarters of the family who own the place."

Sakura spoke quietly. "Is it the large house in the back?"

Shinji nodded and then turned to leave. "See you later, Gai."

Sakura discreetly looked around the room and kept her frown in check as she noticed several cameras. She pounced on Gai, looking and acting every bit the pleased wife. "I'm so happy! I only wish we had our own house." She pouted cutely and her mission partner chuckled.

"One day, love. This will have to do until we have enough money to buy a house. But I promise you, when we do get one, it's your choice. You choose the house and I'll gladly buy it for you."

Sakura leaned in close with a soft smile, giving her 'husband' a peck on the lips. As she wrapped her arms around him in an embrace, she whispered softly in his ear. "Cameras."

"I know." came the equally soft reply.

The pair separated and Sakura clapped happily. "Well, time to get settled in! I doubt the room has been cleaned since no one lives here, so let's tidy it first." She was a kunoichi who could bunk down in mud if need be, but if circumstances allowed she would not wallow in filth.

After dusting and sweeping with the items found in a closet, Sakura changed the sheets to the spare set found in the same cupboard, the previous ones sporting a layer of dust. The two observed their handiwork and Gai grinned widely at Sakura. "Would you like to go to dinner to celebrate our first night here?"

"Of course!"

The two set off for town, each wondering how to get around the damn cameras placed in their room.

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Dinner was quiet with each ninja lost in their own thoughts and trying to figure out a solution to their situation. After eating, Gai suggested a walk to get to know the town better and Sakura happily agreed. The real goal of the walk was to find a secluded place where they could talk and discuss any ideas they had about dealing with the cameras.

They reached a deserted park and Sakura gestured to the little wooden bench. "Let's sit for a while. It's a nice night."

As the two settled on the bench, sitting as close as possible, Sakura sighed as Gai put his arm around her and she cuddled in. She whispered softly to make sure no one would hear, just in case they were being followed. "Any ideas?"

Gai smiled to make it seem like they were having a light conversation. "Everything I've thought of won't work. What really bothers me is that we're supposed to be newlyweds and civilians. So we have to be ignorant of the cameras and they'll expect certain...activities." He blushed bright red and Sakura squeezed her eyes shut.

"I don't know if I can do that, Gai. I'm not a person who can separate sex and love. Even if I know it's for a mission, I'm afraid my emotions may run away from me. Bring into the equation the fact that I'm becoming attracted to you already and we're just asking for trouble."

Gai tightened his arm around her. "I'm in the same boat as you, sweetie."

Her head shot up and she looked at Gai in surprise. "You're attracted to me?"

The taijutsu master blinked a few times like she was crazy, before it dawned on him he had never really admitted anything to her. "Very much so. I'd be a fool to not see how beautiful and smart and endearing you are. Unfortunately I've been alone so long that I think I'm already in over my head."

Sakura's stomach clenched unpleasantly. "What do you mean?"

"I already thought you were amazing before the mission started, but I didn't really know you. This past week has been one of the best of my life. The more I get to know you, the more it pains me to know it all ends after the mission. I've enjoyed your company and your wit and the conversations we have. Lonely people like me tend to cling to those who show us some affection. Even if it is only a mission, I'm already feeling more than I should for you." Gai sighed heavily, wishing he was a few years younger and that Lee hadn't fallen in love with Sakura all those years ago. Those were the two things keeping him from hoping there could be a future for them.

Sakura's green eyes glittered as she leaned up to kiss Gai softly on the lips. "You'll make one very lucky woman extremely happy one day. I wish with everything I have it could be me, but we both know it can't."

Gai nodded silently and sighed again before changing the subject. "So, about those cameras."

Sakura bit her lip in thought. "Could we cast a genjutsu on the room so they _think_ we're doing...things?"

"They'd see us making the hand signs." He chewed his thumbnail. "Clones?"

"We'd have to make hand signs for those as well. Not to mention, once the clones disperse, we'll gain all of their knowledge so it would sort of defeat the purpose. So ninjutsu and genjutsu are out of the question. Anything we could do like normal people?"

Gai furrowed his brow. "If we knock over a camera or "accidentally" cover it up, then we'd have to ask them about why they have cameras in our room and that just opens a whole new can of worms. We can't leave the compound now that we're in and we'd be expected to get angry and leave after learning they're spying on us. It would be too suspicious if we stayed."

Sakura frowned up at Gai. "Looks like we have to do this."

Gai hung his head with his eyes closed. "I'm so sorry, Sakura." His eyes lit up. "Maybe we could just pretend that's what's happening under the sheets."

She tightened her hold around his torso as she answered. "That won't work. Our movements wouldn't be in-sync. They'd be able to tell it's fake."

Gai leaned down to kiss the top of her head. "Let's head back. I need to be ready for work soon."

Sakura stood with him and laced her fingers through his. "Maybe work will keep you from me enough to make it easier to deceive them."

"Let's hope so."

Sakura giggled slightly as a thought occurred to her. "You know, most women would be offended that a man was hoping he wouldn't have sex with them."

Gai grinned down at the smaller kunoichi. "Same goes for men."

Sakura stopped and pulled him down so she could loop her arms around his neck and kiss him deeply. "The only reason I'm against it is because of how I'm sure I'll feel afterwards. Believe me when I say the idea itself is _very_ appealing." She gave him a playful smirk and he chuckled at her antics. Her shyness around him had evaporated, leaving a confident and flirty woman in her place.

While Gai enjoyed this new Sakura, she was even easier to fall for than the shy version. He kept his dismal thoughts to himself, unwilling to bring down the seemingly cheerful kunoichi next to him. Of course, her cheerful demeanor was fake. They were both unsettled about what they had to do, but they had to seem like a normal newlywed couple. "Ditto."

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The duo returned to the compound and Gai headed off to the front gate to begin his work. Sakura flopped on their bed with a sigh. She was grateful it wasn't Kakashi on this mission with her. Having her best friend avoid her like the plague due to circumstances beyond her control was not something that would sit well with her.

She pulled out her nightclothes and hurried into the bathroom to get ready for bed. All of the day's excitement was catching up to her and coupled with the draining conversation she had with Gai, she was eager to get some sleep.

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A/N: Not a very exciting chapter on the Gai/Sakura side, but necessary. Hope you enjoyed! Smooches!


	6. Chapter 6

Holy cow! Has it really been eight months?! Sorry for the delay in updates! Full time work and full time college were keeping me super busy. Plus I had a terrible case of writer's block and figured it was better to wait it out and write something decent than post some slop no one would enjoy. With that said, hope you enjoy this next bit!

WARNING: There is adult content in this chapter. I've also warned people since the beginning of the story, so no complaints about what happens in this chapter! I'll just ignore it and call you an idiot for not heeding the multiple warnings. To all those who still want to read what's coming up, or have been waiting for it (my fellow pervs) enjoy!

Disclaimer: See chapter 1.

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Solace

Chapter 6

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The first week of living at the compound had flown by uneventfully. Gai worked all night so he was going to bed at 5:00 in the morning and waking up at 1:00 in the afternoon. The couple were grateful for his schedule since it kept them from sleeping for too long in the same bed. It diminished the expectations for physical intimacy. Or so they hoped.

Sakura was actually enjoying the compound. The family who owned it must have enjoyed nature, since the grounds were well-kept and surprisingly beautiful once she wandered away from the concrete buildings. There were orchards and gardens and dirt pathways lined with various trees. A koi pond surrounded by stone benches and colorful flowers was one of her favorite spots. She spent most of her time trying to 'accidentally' head into forbidden territory, but tight security kept her in line. Knowing too many tries would arouse suspicion, she would settle herself next to the pretty pond and alternate between reading and running her fingers along the water, watching the brightly hued fish nibble at her fingertips. The calming effects helped to keep her from feeling utterly useless while Gai worked his ass off on security duty.

The pond is where Gai found her one afternoon after waking up early. Sakura blinked at the man in front of her and then glanced into the sky. "It isn't even noon yet, what are you doing up already?"

"Couldn't sleep." He settled himself next to the pink-headed woman. "So this is where you sneak off to in the mornings."

Sakura smiled lightly. "It's relaxing here."

Keeping their cover up since they never knew who was watching, Gai ran a hand along her hair and back. "When we finally get our own house, I promise you a koi pond of your own."

The kunoichi's smile turned into delighted giggles. "I'm afraid you won't see much of me if we have a koi pond!"

Gai chuckled along with her. "It'll just make it easier to track you down." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and she snuggled into his side. "How about heading into town for some lunch?"

Sakura stood quickly. "Please!"

"What's got you so hungry?"

Sakura sheepishly grinned at the raised eyebrow. "I skipped breakfast."

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The two shinobi enjoyed a quiet lunch and then strolled through the small town, inspecting various stalls and shops. As Sakura peered over some little glass figurines, she muttered up at her partner. "Find anything?"

Gai looked at her in confusion for a moment before it dawned on him that she meant the mission. "No, nothing yet. What about you?"

Sakura shook her head. "If I start to wander a little too close to the main family's house, the guards turn me back. And I haven't seen much in the rest of the compound either."

Gai nodded. "They keep security tight. Even I haven't seen much and I'm part of the security team."

Sakura sighed. "What are we going to do? We need to figure out a way to gather some information or this mission may last much longer than we want it to."

Gai bit his bottom lip and then ran a thumb along the abused flesh. "We may have to do some nighttime recon, but they have our room bugged so I don't know how we'll accomplish that."

The pink-headed kunoichi smiled impishly up at him. "We just don't head into the compound ourselves. We send in a couple of clones to head to our room and go to sleep. Then, we do what we need to do."

Gai shook his head with a small smile. "It's a truly good thing you're on this mission with me."

"Why is that?"

"Stealth and reconnaissance aren't exactly my strong points. Most of my missions deal with barreling in head first and taking out the enemy." He smiled wider at Sakura before continuing. "Let's do your idea if we don't have much luck over the rest of the week. I have to seriously concentrate to hold a clone and it would be hard on you to maintain both."

Sakura nodded. "It's a plan then." She looked up into the early evening sky and sighed. "Guess we should head back to the compound."

"Why do you sound so sad?" Gai chuckled at his counter part.

"I like spending this time with you. I don't want you to go to work." She pouted prettily up at him.

The taijutsu master just shook his head. He hated this mission every time they had to say something like that. He meant those things when he said them and he knew it was the same for Sakura. But it shouldn't be that way and he knew it would tear Lee apart if he knew his beloved sensei and his cherished ex-girlfriend were having a tiny fling on a mission.

He gave Sakura that heart warming smile that made her heart flip. "I don't want to work, either."

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The pair noticed Shinji talking with another employee as they entered the compound and turned to each other purposefully. With a quick hug and kiss, Gai made his way to report for duty while Sakura headed back to their room.

Shinji finished with the employee he was speaking to and motioned for Gai to join him. "Gai, I hope you and your lovely wife are enjoying your stay here."

Gai nodded. "Yes, thank you. We miss each other, but it can't be helped with my nighttime rounds."

Shinji stroked his chin in thought. "Has she thought about altering her schedule to fit yours? Going to sleep after you get back to her and things like that?"

Gai gave a warm chuckle. "It would be nice! But that woman loves mornings too much to miss them. She always has."

"I do see her at the koi pond a lot in the mornings." Shinji smiled slightly and Gai felt uneasiness creep along his spine. _'Has this weirdo been spying on Sakura?'_

"She says watching the fish soothes her."

"Yes, yes. They are calming." Shinji smiled again at the taijutsu master. "You know what? You've been doing a wonderful job here. Why don't you take the night off and spend it with your new bride? I'm sure the two of you would like some 'personal' time."

And then Gai knew what this was about. They were being tested. There had been no activity in their room, yet they were newlyweds who had been forbidden to be together. Of course the compound leaders would expect them to be a bit more amorous towards each other.

Gai tried his hand at avoiding the situation. "That's very kind of you, but Sakura and I are hoping to save enough to buy a house very soon."

Shinji gave another bone-chilling smile. "You do get paid vacation, Gai. I must insist you spend time with your wife. Marital tensions are the primary cause of poor job performance and I don't want to see that happen to you."

Gai had to acquiesce. Too much resistance would alert them to the fact that something wasn't right. "In that case, thank you very much, Shinji-san. Sakura will be thrilled." He smiled and headed off to the room he and Sakura shared with a sinking feeling in his stomach.

He knew in the back of his mind that this moment would come eventually. When they first noted the cameras in their room, he knew it was only a matter of time before they would be expected to prove themselves. However, he had chosen to remain optimistic and hope it wouldn't come to that. And even though it wasn't under the best circumstances, a part of him was a little excited at the knowledge that he would be with Sakura. He had fallen for her quite hard over the course of the mission. Not love, but something very close to that had settled over his thoughts of the kunoichi, causing him to smile or get a dreamy look on his face when he thought of her.

He came to their room all too soon and his jumbled thoughts became even more disjointed as he opened the door. "Honey, I'm home!" He tried to make a joke, to sound cheerful and happy, because that would be expected.

Sakura's worried face looked up from the book she had been reading. "What are you doing home, love?"

"Shinji-san has been kind enough to insist I spend some quality time with my lovely new wife. He knows how much we must miss each other with our differing schedules." He made his way over to the chair she was sitting on and lifted her up, spun around and sat in the chair with her sitting sideways on his lap.

Sakura's smile looked genuine to the casual observer, but Gai noticed the tightness that gave away her trepidation. "That was very kind of him. I'm glad to have you home. I have missed you." She closed her book and set it on the small table next to them before laying her head on Gai's broad shoulder and snuggling into him. "I just want to sit like this for a while."

Gai appreciated the gesture for what it was. It was time for Sakura to set her head straight before they did what they needed to do. The problem wasn't that they were repulsed, but too attracted to each other. Gai and Sakura both knew this would cause even more heartache once the mission ended and they had to go their separate ways.

Gai kissed Sakura on the crown of her head and mumbled an extremely quiet "sorry" for her to hear. Sakura giggled and looked up at him. She hugged him so her lips were placed right next to his ear, speaking low enough that only he would pick it up. "Don't apologize or you'll ruin the mood." She pulled back just enough to look him in the eye and then settled her forehead against his. "May as well make the best out of our situation, right?"

Gai had to agree with her. Like it or not, it was going to happen. So they should just go ahead and enjoy it while it lasted. Yes it would cause problems later, but there was nothing that could be done about that now. They had both recovered from broken hearts before, they could do it again.

Sakura took a deep breath and leaned in to kiss Gai, hoping the familiar action would calm them both while leading them into what they needed to do. It started slow, playful nips and tugs that caused both Gai and Sakura to yearn for more.

As Sakura tangled her hand into Gai's hair, she felt something hard beginning to press into her thighs. The feeling made her moan slightly as she let her tongue slip out to lap at Gai's lips. Gai met her eagerly, determined to make this an experience they would both enjoy and remember. The pleasure created by the kisses coiled in both of their stomachs, creating the knots of tension that accompanied arousal.

Their lips parted and green eyes met black eyes; the affection, the want and the lust reflecting between them. Sakura's hands trailed from around Gai's neck down to rest on his broad chest, while one of Gai's hands traveled from her waist up to cup a breast. Her breathing increased slightly as the taijutsu user's large hand kneaded and molded the flesh before talented fingers flicked and rubbed the sensitive nipple. As his ministrations continued, Sakura's heartbeat and breathing steadily increased until she was practically panting and digging her fingers into Gai's chest. She leaned her forehead onto his shoulder and gave a soft moan.

Even though she wasn't doing anything to stimulate Gai, the shinobi was greatly affected by her reactions to his caresses. Wordlessly, he scooped her up and stood, making his way over to the bed.

He set her down carefully, gently tugging on the belt to the robe she was wearing. "You are wearing far too many clothes, wife." Gai leaned over her to nip at her ear as he spoke for her ears alone. "I don't want to make things any more complicated, but we have to be convincing."

Sakura nodded and then shuddered as his teeth grazed her earlobe. She turned to mimic the gesture, speaking lowly for him. "I know. Let's just enjoy this and not worry about consequences or the damned mission."

That was all that Gai needed to hear. He settled himself more fully over her, locking his gaze with hers before lowering himself down to kiss her. As the kisses progressed, Sakura felt Gai's hardness pressing more insistently through her pajama shorts, rubbing deliciously against the apex of her thighs. Needing to relieve some of the lust building within her, she ground her hips up into the shinobi, only to be even more turned on by the gasp and growl he gave.

Gai's hand slid up under the t-shirt she wore to bed, the sensations his hand caused were more powerful without the fabric blocking him. As his calloused hand slid up her torso, she writhed and panted, hoping he would hurry and touch her where she wanted him to. With one fluid movement, her shirt was removed and Gai's tongue was licking at the stiff peaks of her nipples. "Oh God, that feels good."

Encouraged by the impassioned moan, the leisurely pace of his tongue sped up until he was tapping against one nipple in a hard and fast rhythm. Sakura's hands wound into Gai's hair, anchoring him in place. The sensations were so phenomenal she wondered if he would even need to penetrate her for her to reach climax. His attentions switched to the other breast and Sakura bit her lip against the moans that wanted to erupt forth.

He raised his head to kiss her again and the kunoichi took the opportunity to divest him of his shirt, gazing appreciatively at the hard lines and sculpted muscle on his torso. She allowed her hands to wander over the dips and planes, kneading his sides as she admired the view above her. Tentatively, she brought her head forward and licked at one of his flat nipples. He gave a soft moan and she continued, running the tip of her tongue around the small brown area and then sucking slightly when the nipple distended.

Feeling empowered, she reached a hand down between them and began to massage the hardness throbbing against her opening. "Sakura, I don't know if I can wait much longer."

Sakura's hands trailed to the waistband of his sweatpants and began to push at the fabric. "You're the one wearing too many clothes now, husband." She winked and Gai flew up off the bed, scrambling to remove his pants.

As he struggled with the ties, Sakura slipped the shorts off her legs, draping the blanket across her to at least maintain some decency. She pulled a condom from the bedside table and slowly slid it onto the large member Gai presented to her, having finally gotten rid of his sweats.

The taijutsu master lifted the blanket and gently settled himself against Sakura again. She was shaking with need, wanting to be filled by the man above her. Feeling her tremors, he kissed her again while slowly easing himself inside.

Sakura tried to remain relaxed, knowing that tensing would cause pain. She had only been with Lee once so her inner walls were still unused to any intrusions. Despite the discomfort, it felt amazing to have Gai sliding into her. The hardness, the ridges and bumps, the heat and throbbing, it all melded into one mind-blowing touch that had Sakura gripping his shoulders as she moaned lowly at the feeling.

Gai whimpered slightly, the desire to pound into her was strong. However, he could feel how tight she was and knew he would have to go slow to resist causing any unnecessary pain. She was wet and tight and hot and Gai buried his face in the crook of her neck as he finished easing his length into her. "You feel incredible, Sakura." He moved his arms from beside her on the bed to cradling the young woman. With his arms around her shoulders and mid-back, he crushed her to him in a scorching kiss as he pulled out and slid back in.

Sakura groaned at the slow but deep thrust. It felt wonderful, but she needed more. She wanted him to go faster, too impatient to wait for a slow build. "Please, Gai. Faster."

With a nod, he began to pump his hips. The speed increased steadily until he was ramming into her, the only thing keeping her from sliding up the bed was his arms wrapped securely around her. He slid his lower arm down further to lift her hips slightly and she dug her nails into his back. "Oh my God! Right there!"

Sakura took a more active role, grinding her hips up as he came down to her. A few more thrusts and Sakura sealed her lips to Gai's in a fierce kiss, moaning her completion into his mouth. With her walls rippling and squeezing, he had no choice but to join her, groaning into their kiss as he released as well.

Sakura continued to kiss him as she slowly ground her hips into him, still easing down from the intense high of her release. The kisses became languid, indicating how sleepy they were. Gai rolled to the side, his flaccid member slipping out as he did so. "I don't think it has ever been that good," he sighed as he pulled the kunoichi closer to snuggle with him. His gaze turned serious as he brushed a few sweaty strands of hair from her face. "You're so beautiful."

"Charmer." With a sleepy smile, Sakura wrapped her arms around Gai in a hug and fell asleep.

Gai watched her drift off, fighting the frown that wanted to break free. He had to be incredibly careful with this delicate situation they were now in. Sex always complicated things. He knew Sakura could be professional, she always was. He however, was a man of passion and tended to let his emotions run freely. He settled himself more comfortably against the sheets and the slender woman in his arms, hoping he would be able to get some sleep.

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Shinji turned to his employer with a grin. "It seems we can trust our newest employee."

"Yes. You say he's a good fighter?"

"Very, sir. He knocked out three men in just as many moves. I think he's wasted at the front gate. He would be best utilized either in the main house or the main facilities." Shinji turned fully from the camera monitor. With the pink-haired beauty fully covered, there was nothing he wished to see anymore.

"Very well. Transfer him to the main building tomorrow." The man paused as he stroked his graying beard. "And keep his nighttime hours. I would love to meet the gorgeous new bride personally." The smirk was more bone-chilling than Shinji's as the man's eyes portrayed his lust.

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A/N: Dun, dun, dun!! And the plot thickens! (I'm such a nerd.) Hope you all enjoyed, despite the long absence. And the chapter is a bit short, but it was the best place to stop. Please review! Hugs and Kisses!


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